Tassi drives in game-winning run in 8th
When Friday’s extra-inning softball game finally came to a close, both Naperville North and Naperville Central looked anxious to escape the cold weather. But it was the Redhawks who still managed to have a warm and fuzzy feeling.
After all, it Naperville Central (16-4, 5-1) that fell behind 2-0 and then had to escape a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in the Huskies’ third inning before scoring four times in the eighth inning to take the DuPage Valley Conference contest 6-2.
“It was huge for us. Beating a rival like Naperville North is always nice,” said Redhawks catcher Juliet Tassi, who drove home the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth.
The Huskies (12-7, 4-2), who jumped ahead with two runs in the first off of Naperville Central starter Kristina Vizza, let a great chance for more runs get away in that third inning but still battled all game long, even loading the bases off of Redhawks reliever Keegan Hayes in the bottom of the eighth.
Kailee Budicin’s 2-run double in the bottom of the first opened the game’s scoring, but the Redhawks cut the deficit in half when Courtney Giebel scored in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by Kaitlyn Skarecky.
That’s when the Redhawks managed to dodge a bullet in the bottom of the third after a pair of walks and an error loaded the bases with no outs and the Huskies’ 4-5-6 hitters headed to the plate. Vizza retired the next three hitters, including a hard liner to right off the bat of Budicin.
When Naperville Central managed to draw even on Kelsey Gonzalez’ deep RBI single in the fifth, both Huskies starter Kathleen Hahne and Redhawks reliever Hayes saw to it that the game remained 2-2 through seven innings.
“Once Keegan came in she looked pretty sharp,” Redhawks coach Andy Nussbaum said. “But I think Vizza getting out of the third was a huge inning for us.”
Tied at 2-2 heading to the eighth, Skarecky opened with double and Dana Dolehide followed with a bloop single. Laura Dierking then looked to bunt the runners over but she beat the throw to first to load the bases. One out later Tassi’s sacrifice fly gave the Redhawks a 3-2 lead. A walk and a pair of errors later and the lead was 6-2.
Even so, the Huskies made things interesting with two walks and singles from Hahne and Megan Burton in the eighth, but a double play on a line drive to center and a groundout ended the threat and the game.
“We had opportunities to add on, but they made the plays and a couple times we hit the ball real hard but right at them,” Naperville North coach Jerry Kedziora said. “But we’re in the game; right there. We gave ourselves a chance in the eighth and that’s all you can ask for.”
Hayes, who pitched four scoreless innings in relief to pick up the win, entered with two on and none out in the fifth and shut the door on that Huskies’ threat.
“It was definitely intense, but it was a great win for us,” she said.